Expressnews
Chennai, August 2024:
For the 1st time in the history of Indian Motorsports, a documentary web series has been produced on Indian racers and how Motorsports evolved in India. It is an inspirational true story of Indian motorsports, and the convergence narrated by racers and auto journalists. The series takes the viewer on a journey from the gone-by era to the current date in chronological order. These stories will inspire the young generation and showcase the stories of the unsung heroes of India, who laid the strong foundation for Motorsports and are our true heroes. This is not about the history of motorsports per se, but a collection of various inspirational true events and stories on how an unimaginable feat was achieved despite all odds and barriers.
This web series is primarily produced for the OTT platform, and the producers plan to release it in 4 seasons as they believe the passionate stories of Indian motorsports cannot be told in a few episodes. Currently, Season 1 consists of 8 episodes of approximately 30 minutes each is ready to go on Air.
“Recently we experimented to see if we can screen a documentary in theatre to understand if the market is mature enough to accept documentary content in theatrical format. Thus, a special screening for the general public and motorsports enthusiasts was done on 9th July 2024 at Cinepolis Andheri (W) Mumbai. To our surprise, the film was very well received and appreciated thus giving us more confidence.” says the producer, writer, and director Sujith Aradhya.
After the success of special screening and an overwhelming response. the producers now intend to do Limited Theatrical Releases upon the demand from motorsports & automobile enthusiasts and to gauge the appeal of specialty films. The theatrical version, which will be 2 hours 30 minutes duration has received a censor certificate under the ‘U’ category. We plan to screen Limited Theatrical Releases in Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and New Delhi.
“We intended to put these inspirational true stories on a global platform so that the rich heritage of Indian Motorsports is known to more people globally. Today, when we talk to motorsports enthusiasts in India, they will speak about Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, etc. Their awareness of Indian racers and Indian Motor Sports pale in comparison. This Docu-series is an attempt to connect the Indians to our unsung heroes and showcase our heroes in a global arena” said Sujith.
Reflecting on the impact, Vicky Chandhok, esteemed racing driver and motorsport administrator, pointed out, “Emerging from the screening of ‘Breaking the Barriers,’ I’m struck by the team’s unwavering dedication. This film is a testament to our resilience and passion for motorsports. Thank you for bringing us together from Madras to Bombay. Let’s continue to fuel this journey.”
Bob Rupani, a revered automotive journalist, added, “Sujith has skillfully crafted a narrative that transcends boundaries. ‘Breaking the Barriers’ besides being educative also celebrates our rich racing legacy. This film is a milestone in storytelling.
Directors Statement:
After spending over a decade in motorsports to nurturing my son to become one of the best motorsports athletes in the country and receive the highest civilian award in India for kids under 18 years. I directed the Web series “Breaking the Barriers” sheerly out of my passion for the sport and curiosity about how the sports evolved, why is it that we don’t have a recorded history of Indian motorsports?
Since this had never been told nor documented, I embarked upon the journey of self-discovery and making the film for the world. Though there were many challenges in presenting this film, like no recorded history, we got senior journalists to help us research and speak. Not all racers are great orators, so to make this story interesting for non-motorsport viewers we got the advertising editors and musicians from the radio station. We had challenges with videos and Images, so we created Illustration images. Overall, we made the stories short, crispier, inspirational, and engaging.
Notably, Sujith Aradhya is the father of Yash Aradhya, a multiple national champion, and the 1stfrom motorsports to receive a National Award.
